Holding a referendum on combining two major elections on the same day as the upcoming Local Council Election and the Women’s Development Committee Election will require having necessary legislative changes in force by February 18, says Mohamed Zahid, chairman of the Elections Commission (EC).
The Local Council Election is scheduled to take place on April 4.
On Sunday night, Ibrahim Falah, the leader of ruling People’s National Congress (PNC)’s parliamentary group, said he believes a referendum on combining the Presidential Election and the Parliamentary Election will be held the same day.
On Monday morning, the Parliament’s Independent Institutions Committee summoned officials from the EC and the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to discuss the constitutional amendment submitted by the government to combine the two elections.
Speaking at the meeting, Zahid said that the EC will continue to follow the law.
He said that the law dictates that the commission needs at least 45 days to prepare for votes.
“But when we do this, we need at least 45 days as required by law,” he said.
Zahid said that holding the referendum on the same day as the Council Election therefor requires for the constitutional amendment to be passed and ratified by February 18.
At an event on Sunday night to open the PNC’s campaign office for Central Henveiru constituency, Falah said that the constitutional amendment will be passed and ratified once the Parliament reopens on Thursday.
He said that holding the referendum on the same day as the Local Council Election will save around MVR 80 million in expenses.
The move to combine the Presidential Election with the Parliamentary Election is opposed by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).